“Bones,” Kirk said, stopping him on the way out. “I appreciate your concern for my happiness. But it’s for me to work out on my own. All right?”

McCoy’s expression showed his understanding, but not his surrender. “Like you said—we’ll talk about it later.”

The doctor politely greeted Commander Rakatheema on the way out. The first time I can remember him showing politeness in this office, Kirk thought. The admiral wondered what the Arcturian commander would think if he knew how a younger, even less tactful McCoy had once described the people of Arcturus IV in Kirk’s hearing: “They look like half-melted waxwork sculptures of some other species.” Arcturians were pale, hairless humanoids whose heads, and to a lesser extent the rest of their bodies, were draped with irregular flaps of reddish-gray skin. Their sagging, jowly features were often perceived by other humanoids as somber or slothful, but Kirk knew them to be quite an energetic people, with a disciplined, military bent to their culture, but also an inquisitive, artistic nature.

Rakatheema, who wore the dark green turtleneck of the security division under his brick-red uniform jacket, greeted Kirk with a smile and a firm handshake once the door closed behind McCoy. “Admiral Kirk. It’s an honor to meet you.”

Kirk was never quite sure how to respond to that kind of praise, but the commander delivered it in such crisp, matter-of-fact tones that it didn’t feel obsequious. “Ah, thank you, Commander. Have a seat. Coffee? Tea?”

“No, thank you, Admiral. I am adequately hydrated, and I know your time is finite.”

Kirk nodded. “Very well, then. What can I do for you?”

Despite his words, Rakatheema hesitated. “How much do you know about Arcturian history, sir?”

The admiral thought it over. “I know the basics. Your distant ancestors migrated out from the first to the fourth planet of Arcturus when the star entered its giant phase. On first contact, you were interested in Earth’s experience dealing with climate change, because your own sun is still gradually warming.”

Rakatheema smiled. “We were also quite taken with Earth poetry and music. Captain Shumar of the Essex introduced us to Shakespeare in that first exchange. The rhythms of the Bard of Avon’s language entranced us even before we understood it.”

“I’ve heard it said that you were the first nonhuman species who mastered Elizabethan English before the modern variety.” Kirk kept his tone light, declining to mention that he had once seen the Karidian Players perform an Arcturian-designed production of Hamlet. He associated that performance with the real-life tragedies that had surrounded it, and he did not think the commander would appreciate hearing that his people reminded Kirk of the crimes of Kodos the Executioner.

“I trust, then, that you know something of our experiences in the years between first contact and our application for Federation membership.”